Water use in the textile industry is massive – as in trillions of gallons massive.  Hundreds of gallons of water are required to dye even small amounts of fabric, and that water then needs extensive filtration to become drinkable again.  With potable water becoming a scarcer and scarcer commodity, how do we save more water for us, and still sustain the textile industry?  Well, why not take water out of the equation altogether…

The U.S. based company Air Dye has managed to do exactly that, by creating a new technology that can dye fabric without using a single drop of water!  This is an amazing advancement, and one we desperately need in the textile industry.  There is one problem though – other than getting the word out and encouraging fabric companies to give it a try… Read the rest of this entry »

So,… are you organized yet?  Have those mountains of paperwork found a home?  If not, you might want to consider going “paperless”. Read the rest of this entry »

New from Lutron’s Ivalo Collection are these lovely LED interior sconces.  Designed to take advantage of the LEDs smaller profile, these slim and trim fixtures easily meet ADA requirements, all while consuming minimal energy.

all images via Lutron

Perhaps the most elegant of Ivalo’s new offerings is the L’ale sconce (above).  With its low profile and gentle curves, it has an air of modern sophistication.  Made of cast aluminum.

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When you’re looking for sustainable flooring, carpet is usually at the bottom of the list.  Mostly made of petroleum based material, with a limited lifespan, there isn’t generally much to recommend carpet to the eco-minded designer.   But what if you took that non-renewable product, and found a way to re-use it indefinitely?   What if you did this not only with your own product, but also with the products of other manufacturers?  Could you take something ecologically ugly and make it beautiful and sustainable?  That’s what Tandus set out to do 15 years ago, and the results have been extraordinary.

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I am often asked what books I would recommend for a designer trying to “go green”.  For a long time that was a tough question.  It seemed everything out there with “Green” in the title was long on pretty pictures, but short on substance.  It’s understandable that the first books to market were a bit rushed, considering how eager people were for information.  However, once you got past the parts about using no-VOC paints, and reclaimed wood floors, there really wasn’t much to go on.  Most particularly for the commercial interior designer.

Happily, ASID, in conjunction with Wiley, decided to publish two books on the subject.

“Sustainable Commercial Interiors”, by Penny Bonda and Katie Sosnowchik, was the first to hit shelves, followed closely by

“Sustainable Residential Interiors”, by Associates III.  Both books are a treasure trove of useful information, including comprehensive coverage of subjects such as: certification systems, life cycle assessment, materials use and re-use, daylighting, and ventilation.

As each book is aimed squarely at the needs of the respective branch of interior design it’s written for,  a residential designer is not likely to get much out of the commercial book, and vice versa. One other thing to keep in mind is that a few things have changed since these books were first published in 2007, most especially the USGBC’s LEED system, which figures prominently in the commercial volume.  As of now I know of no plans to revise “Sustainable Commercial Interiors”, but I will let you know if that changes.

All things aside, whether you are just starting out in green design, or just want to expand your knowledge base, these books are must haves for your library.  You will find yourself referring to them again and again!